The Circle
The Circle is a 2012 romance story written by EvelioandZgroup. The started started on July 24, 2012. As of February 9, 2013, it has over 16,000 words. Plot The story begins with Gumball getting awkaen by Darwin. Darwin tells Gumball that he plans on breaking up with Rachel. Gumball, surprised by Darwin's decision, thought they were happy. Darwin says that they never really hung out and states that it's now or never. Gumball goes to the park to meet up with Penny but informs him that she wants to break up with him. Heartbroken, he heads back home, while Darwin is happy for being single after ending his relationship with Rachel. After 3 days, spending his weekend alone in his room, he comes out. His family is there, but shamelessly, referrences of Penny are brought up. At lunch, Gumball is more miserable and grabs the attention of Carrie, who is barely informed of the break up. After Carrie leaves, her crush on Gumball is revealed in her thoughts and thinks of a reason on bringing Gumball closer to her. Rachel comes up to Carrie and talks about her coming over because of her depression with Darwin. Carrie accepts but she insists on Gumball coming as well since he got broken up as well. Gumball goes along with Carrie, even after hesitating at first. When they go in, both Rachel and Gumball are downers. Carrie goes to get water, in hopes of leaving them alone so they could connect. After a moment of being alone with each other, they both remark on their break ups and return to silence. Rachel then decides to open up to Gumball about the break up. They both comfort each other and then they ended up kissing on the floor. They stopped when Carrie came back in the room. After a while, Rachel talks to Gumball about keeping their kiss and their realtionship a secret. She explains that Darwin entered her life and she was embarrased for getting dumped by him. They agree and they share a private kiss, and then he leaves with Carrie. 3 months later, Rachel and Gumball have been going out and have kept it a secret. Then Darwin starts to suspect something going on, but thinks that it's with Carrie. Gumball rejects the idea of him being with Carrie, but Darwin questions why he hangs out with Rachel. He gets a bit nervous and says that he's the friend that Rachel needed. Darwin later confesses that he wants to get back together with Rachel. Gumball is shocked and asks why. Darwin explains that he thinks it was a mistake. Gumball then talks about the possiblity of Rachel being with someone else, hinting that he's with Rachel. Darwin though says that the only guy he sees her with was with Gumball and feels like he would have told him about it, Gumball then feels like he's betraying him. After going to the bus, Penny gets picked and says hi to Gumball. It is the first time she said anything to him since the break up. At lunch, Rachel gets Gumball to get out of the lunchroom and they share a kiss for their 3 month anniversary. Gumball gives Rachel a present and it's a blue necklace of her favorite color, and Gumball calls it a symbol of his love for her due to the interest of the color. He puts it on her and the bell rings. Gumball goes back to the lunchroom to throw away his tray but then Penny is there. They acknowledge each other, but Penny reveals to him that she wants to get back with Gumball. Shocked, he is unable to give an answer and is told by her to think about it while he is left alone in the lunchroom. When Rachel is beginning to pack up, Darwin goes running to her and tells her that he wants to get back together. Rachel couldn't bear giving him the truth but decides to just leave, leaving Darwin unanswered in the hallway. Gumball gets back home, he sees Darwin down. He tells Gumball that he asked Rachel about getting abck together but didn't give him an answer and assumes it's a no. Gumball tries to explain taht maybe Rachel is better off without Darwin. Darwin then talks about the possiblity of what Rachel really wants. Gumball then decides to head over to Rachel, leaving Darwin upset. Rachel is still wondering about Darwin and then Gumball gets to her house, with no one in but the two. They discuss about the "getting back together" with both Darwin and Penny. Then Rachel leaves him with a question, "What do you think we should do?" A week passes and Gumball wakes up and heads downstairs. Darwin heads down and reveals that he is back together with Rachel and Gumball is with Penny. Gumball doesnt give much interest with being with Penny and fakes that he still has feelings for her. It then flashbacks a month earlier with Gumball at the park with a sketchpad. Rachel comes by and Gumball shows the sketch to Rachel which reveals to be Rachel. Rachel draws a bit of tears knowing it's drawn beautifully and Gumball says it might not be good. Rachel then asks why he drew it and reveals to her that he overheard that she felt bad about her apperance and he wanted to draw her as how he saw her, beautiful. She goes to hug him and he whispers to her that he also did it because he loved her and she says she loves him too, without hesitation. She lays herself with Gumball and he draws another sketch, this time at a perspective of how people would see them. In lunch, Gumball is now irratated at himself and makes converstaion with Carrie that life sucks for him. Carrie reminds him that he is back with Penny. Gumball tells Carrie that he doesn't feel the same way about her and reveals that he doesn't know how he started to have feelings for her in the first place, causing Carrie to be shocked. Carrie points out why was he still with her and he just replies that it was an idea. Carrie doesn't understand and Gumball leaves when he spots Rachel leaving the lunchroom. When Gumball gets to Rachel, he discusses that he can't go on with it and she tells him that there is no other option. Gumball then talks about it not being right towards to Darwin and Penny. He proposes an idea, but Rachel asks if he can talk about it after school and she kisses him, revealing they are still a couple when she say's "After all, I'm still your girlfriend." It then flashbacks to a week before and after Gumball says that they can't date both, it then sparks an idea with Rachel. She talks about keeping their realtionship a secret and go back with them. Gumball isn't sure since he believes it's cheating. Rachel then says it's not cheating if she allows it. She kisses him and he feels that it's the beginning of a lie. He goes to talk to Penny to break up with her, but instead Penny tells him that her parents invited him over for dinner and he points out the mishap with her pet Mr. Cuddles. Penny reminds him that he found him and reveals to Gumball that she was actually miserable when they broke up. Penny felt that a gap of her life was gone and that gap was Gumball. She lost concertation in her cheerleading and classes and her parents worried about her ever being happy again and when she got back together with Gumball, she said that she was back with the boy she loved. It flashbacks a few weeks back when Gumball was at a mini mart he saw Penny by the reflection at the mirror with her mom and sister. He bumps to Carrie and she helps him up and they share a small talk. When Gumball turns, he sees Penny looking at them. Gumball thinks she still cared, but rejects it immediatly. Later when someone drops a can, Gumball helps the person pick it up. He then sees the person hand and it was a wristband and reveals it to be Penny. She went back with her mom, but when he felt her hand, all he can feel was sadness with her. Out of guilt, he says that he's happy to be with her and she hugs him, while he lets out a tear knowing that he's lying to her to keep her happy. After Penny left the classroom, Gumball is about to leave, Carrie goes in looking for something. Seeing Carrie worried about, he offers to help, but she wouldn't say what it was. Meanwhile, Rachel is waiting outside, she goes with Darwin to take the bus home. As they are looking, Gumball fakes finding it to have some fun with Carrie and they fall over to Ms. Simian's desk. Later Carrie finds it but refuses to show it to Gumball. Gumball then offers to walk her home since they both missed the bus. They both walk home and he takes her to her house and the item was a photo of Gumball and Carrie when they were little. She holds it close to her chest and "feels" the warmth and tenderness with Gumball. As Gumball is walking home, he wonders what Carrie's thing was. Then when he gets to the house, there is Darwin and Rachel. Then Rachel asks if she can talk with Gumball for a moment and he does leave, kissing her on the cheek. Rachel asks why he wasn't there and he starts to explain until he mentions Carrie. She starts to ask why he was with her and he explains but then recieves a pinch from her. He tells her that he doesn't like her that way and there's no need to get jealous. Rachel gets red cheeks and say's she's not. They rekindle but their kiss is interupted when they heard Darwin coming downstairs. Gumball then recieves a call from Penny about the dinner and Gumball realizes that he was about to be late. He rushes and gets out but then Darwin asks Rachel what they were talking about. She says stuff and says she's not cheating on him, but he replies that he knows. Rachel feels bad about Darwin since she can't return his affections. As he makes it there, he hugs Penny, but from her mirror at the door, he sees him hugging Rachel. At dinner they have grown fond to Gumball and they talk about a certain incident. It flashbacks to 3 weeks ago. Gumball saw Tobias bothering Penny about them being a couple, but she keeps saying no. Gumball goes over and tells him to stop. He then gives Tobias a sucker punch and he runs away. Gumball helps Penny up, but they only share a moment staring at each other and they went back to their doings. Then after hearing from Mr. Fitzgerald that he is sees Gumball only with Penny. It causes Gumball to leave the house immediately. He is outside and when Penny comes out, he breaks up with her and he runs away. Meanwhile, Rachel is asked by Darwin why was she friends with Gumball. She answers that he was there for here. Darwin asks why didn't she ask her other friends, but she replies if she did then she wouldn't be here as of today. She comes to terms that maybe Gumball was right and they shouldn't go through with it. There she breaks up with Darwin and she leaves the house and there Gumball is. He confesses that he couldn't go through with it and only wants to be with her and there they kiss, but is seen by Penny, who chases him down, and Darwin, who checked by the curtents. Penny runs back home crying, while Darwin feels betrayed and punches the door. He hurts his fin and cries on the floor in agony of what he saw. Gumball and Rachel are unaware and they agree to still keep the relationship a secret until they are ready. Gumball goes back and sees what happened with Darwin. he tries to help him, but he ignores him and goes to sleep. Gumball decided to go sleep as well. In the morning, he sees Darwin, mad and he doesn't speak of what he saw. Darwin then knows about Penny and rushes to tell Penny. Gumball calls Rachel and asks if she wanted to go to the park so he can draw her and have a good time. They will pose as friends and they Gumball left. The story has yet to be completed.